Ooh Wallah!

Whoever has been to India even for one day has definitely encountered the representatives of two most common, male-dominated professions in this country, namely a chai-wallah and a rickshaw-wallah. An everyday life for an Indian person would simply grind to a halt without these two humble wallahs, who deliver a cup of masala chai and

Rajasthani Razzle-Dazzle

I remember when I heard the mysterious tinkling of Indian women’s jewellery for the first time. It was a chilly early February morning in the Old Delhi. In the morning silence of squalid narrow streets of Main Bazaar silver foot bracelets with little bells and copious bangles on henna-painted hands make a fairytale-like impression. These

Holy City of Varanasi

‘Welcome to my town, Varanasi, the holy city!,’ greets us a rikshaw driver. In the next sentence he offers us a great inexpensive hotel, which we absolutely must see. When we turn down his offer for obvious reason, which is the commission the driver will get at our expense, we hear that Varanasi people are

Khajuraho: Kama Sutra Temples

The Roads of India

Getting from point A to B in India is relatively easy and the credit goes to the British and their railway system, making a backpacker’s life so much easier. If only the Germans had built the roads on top of that, India would be a paradise for independent travellers. Theres is no-one else, but me

Praise the Rats!

Once upon a time lived a Polish prince called Popiel, who died eaten alive by mice and rats in a tower, where he took refuge with his wife to escape the rebellion of the people he ruled. I remember this bizarre story from my childhood and that’s where it belonged, to the realm of legends,

Existential Pains in the Desert

An alarm clock wakes us up at an ungodly hour of 5am. We take our backpacks and march through the narrow streets of Jaisalmer, the most western town of Rajasthan, near the border with Pakistan. At 6am sharp power gets disconnected in the entire Jaisalmer and we walk in a complete darkness, paying extra caution

Blue City of Jodhpur

The Bond and Beautiful

I reckon Udaipur is the best example of a city in Rajasthan which presents Indian society in a nutshell. The bygone luxuries of Maharajas’ palaces replaced with the extravagant parties of filthy rich Indians and Western music and sport celebrities clash with beggars and dirty streets of this fairytale city.

One Photo, Please!

Having taken after my father, it’s usually me who asks a lot of direct questions, but the Indian people are true masters of interrogation. They are quick, take you by surprise and make you answer all their inquisitive questions with a smile, no matter how embarrassed you are. You simply cannot resist revealing the most